After my run yesterday I went to the grocery. I was putting my jacket on since the air conditioning in there is cold when an old man came up and hugged me for putting on my jacket :::gag::: and right after that another guy stopped me and listed the times he has seen me at the gym, running in the park and his having been in my yoga class. I know this is a smaller town, but geeze! We have no idea how other people watch us. Try to remember that (as I am) and be careful out there!

Fun thing was that our birder couple heard the coyotes howling again! They must be staying in the wooded areas or on the river when it is hot. After all, the coyotes are wearing "fur coats".

There's some drivers I get to "know" on my weekday runs (a plumbing truck, a mobility van, etc) but I figure it's likely a lot more people who recognize me from seeing me running along the same roads at approximately the same time of day.

Thing is...they "strike" quickly. It's over before you know it. My regular trail run is with people around who I already have known over time and are not stalking...elderly birder couple, pair from the building here, women and their dogs, etc. Also, I carry pepper spray ready to grab.

Lots to do in the next few days. We are getting down to the wire in terms of making sure we have everything we need on hand and ready to pack for Pennsic War. I am also doing some last-minute sewing. T-bone and I got our wedding outfits and he realized he didn't have an appropriate tunic to put underneath his. So I just sewed one for him. Newsflash: I am not a great seamstress. I can do basic sewing, but I am not a genius at it or anything. So sewing the tunic my fiance is going to get married in is a little nerve-wracking.

Today is parents night program at our summer day camp. The boys went to this camp and even the preschool (camp is an extension of the small school) since they were 3 years old. Last year Evan was a Jr. Counselor while he was getting his strength back, and this year they allowed Gavin to go free of charge (!) all summer. They probably spent more time together there then even in elementary school. The camp is funding an award now every year in Evan's honor and memory for a Jr. Counselor that shows the most camp spirit and exhibits the values of the camp (it and the school are United Methodist based so has a foundation in the teachings of the church which is nice as it is part of my church community here ).

So it will be very special for the camp to give this award the first year to this Jr. Counselor they are usually middle school age kids who basically volunteer all summer to help the adult counselors out, so are not expecting anything, and there will be a nice plaque and name on a larger plaque in the library and they are getting a small check $200 which doesn't sound like much to adults but to a kid that is great. We are also having pavers on the courtyard dedicated to Evan and Gavin too.

The camp funded all of this. We will probably write a check at some point to help fund it but this was out of their hearts.

I miss Evan so much. Gavin and I are going to visit his friend who was Evan's BFF in Half Moon Bay for a week before school starts. The one who drove down to LA to be with Evan in his last moments. It is so bittersweet to go. I feel so sad Evan isn't here. But Matthew is so happy to see Gavin and I am happy to see my friend Bev. Brother Mike who lives in Irvine now is flying up too and Uncle Mike who lives in SF is coming down so it will be a very nice gathering. We are planting redwood saplings in Evan's memory too out there.

Knowing that 8th grade is starting and Evan isn't going is just so hard on my emotionally. But I have to keep moving forward.

I really hate the term Murica. I never noticed it's usage before last year and I now I just associate it with Trump and his supporters. It seems almost disrespectful to call our country that now. This came to my mind because someone posted a vacation pic and titled it ...Murica and I just got distaste from the terminology. I don't know her political affiliations but it definitely made me associate her with Trump. Am I alone in my dislike of the term?

I've noticed that or 'Merica for years (way before Trump was elected or even running) and I've never really understood where it came from or why people started saying it. My best guess was because we abbreviate everything now?

In my family (kids are adults now) we use 'Merica all the time. In our case I suppose it's been said as a way of mocking people who use it seriously. We are smart asses, though, so maybe it's just us. And we've done since waaay before Trump ran for anything.